Meander to start Texas career as receiver

FORT WORTH — University of Texas football coach Mack Brown said Palo Duro grad Montrel Meander will get a chance to show his wide receiver skills right away when the Longhorns open fall practice next week.

Because of a transfer and players healing from recent minor surgeries, Meander will receive more reps at wide receiver than the freshman expected.

Brown is not allowed to watch his players practice in the summer, but without asking, other Texas players have informed their coach the PD star in football and track appears ready for Division I competition.

“We can’t see him in the summer,” Brown said Monday at a news conference during the Texas High School Coaches Association coaching school. “But I hear he’s done a great job. I had this casual conversation with the four (Texas players) that came to Big 12 media day (last week). They usually give me a pretty good run down without me asking direct questions. They are really excited about Meander.”

Even though Meander impacted the Dons more on defense during his high school career, he will open his college career on offense.

“We just lost Caleb Jones to a transfer,” Brown said. “And then (projected starters) Jaxson Shipley and Mike Davis will be limited a little bit when we start next week because of recent operations. So Montrel will be out there next Monday working hard. He will have to jump in with both feet.”

On other subjects concerning UT football:

■ What Texas must focus on: “Two of our main goals as we are moving forward this year is we have to run the ball better in the games and have great run defense. We were atrocious against the run mid-season last year on defense. So we have to stop the run better.”

■ Quarterback David Ash: “He played really well for us in the spring. It sounds like he had a great summer. This is his football team right now. He’s leading it and moving forward with a lot of confidence.

“We are doing what he did in high school (up tempo) this year so he should feel good about it.”

■ On the possibility of resuming the Texas A&M rivalry: “There has been no discussion on that.”

■ When asked if he heard a famous quarterback was on his campus recently (A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was recently shown on video walking out of a UT fraternity party). “Yeah, David Ash. Oh, and Colt McCoy.”

■ On the the Big 12: “I think top to bottom it’s as balanced and as good as any in the country. The SEC has won championships and they should be applauded for that. Our league is better than our perception. I think we have five or six teams ranked in the top 25. Every team in the league can beat you.”